Actors from failed NBC pilot make their own web series

Rejection sucks. Just ask the co-stars of failed NBC pilot Downwardly Mobile. The trailer park sitcom, which would have reunited Roseanne’s Roseanne Barr and John Goodman, wasn’t picked for NBC’s fall lineup, leaving the cast in a lurch. But, undeterred, the five secondary leads – Jason Antoon, Mary Birdsong, Greg Cromer, Tricia O’Kelley, and Romy Rosemont – have taken to YouTube to continue working together. The resulting web series, called Bitter, Party of 5, subscribes to the adage that “art imitates life.” The setup: five actors who learn that their NBC pilot (called…Downwardly Mobile) wasn’t picked up take to the web to produce a low-budget talk show.

YouTube is becoming a viable launchpad for entertainers - notable examples include Psy’s “Gangnam Style” and the Comedy Central hit Workaholics. And as the cable market continues to embrace these sorts of TV biz meta-comedies - Curb Your Enthusiasm, Episodes - this cheeky series could well take off in its own right.

Watch the first episode after the jump, and let us know in the comments if the show’s got staying power.